method

2. Carefully fold in the sifted flour and cocoa powder. Pour into the cake tin and bake in a moderately hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack.

3. When cool, split in half horizontally and sprinkle over the brandy.

4. Whip the cream and black coffee until stiff. Place a star nozzle in a piping bag and fill the bag with the coffee cream. Pipe swirls over one half of the cake, place on a serving plate and top with the other half. Pipe the remainder of the cream around the top of the gateau.

5. Dissolve the cocoa and coffee in the water, then mix with the icing sugar to make glace icing. Spread on top of the cake up to the piped cream border. Decorate with grated chocolate.

Freezer Tip
This gateau can be frozen successfully without the glace icing. Open freeze until firm then wrap carefully in a large polythene bag. Unwrap and place on a serving plate to defrost.

What did you think?

I made this cake as a birthday cake and it turned out beautifully, just like the photo. I made the sponge and froze it a few days before and thawed it before decorating. The only thing I did differently was to ice the top of the cake with the glace icing before piping the cream border on top. I will be making this cake again for sure.

Good recipe.

posted by Thauwa @ 05:48AM, 10/24/08

I too made this as a birthday cake. All went well. But it didn't puff out too much. Great anyway. Turned out nice!